Reviews
Artists: Lizzie Nunnery + Support
Venue: Bournemouth Folk Club
Town: Bournemouth
Date: 21st February
Website:
http://www.lizzienunnery.co.uk
The last time Lizzie Nunnery played Bournemouth Folk Club, we made it our gig of the year. Whilst it didn't have the sense of occasion that a headline at Glastonbury or Cambridge might have, it was a gig fired on passion and performance.
Nunnery is quite the wordsmith, she's a playwright as well as a singer songwriter and is one artist that has that undefinable quality known as stage presence, not craft, presence. Stagecraft can be learnt, stage presence is the abilty to walk into a spotlight and own the room simply by being there.
The last time Lizzie was here, it was in support of her ep 'Hungry', this time it's in anticipation of her full album debut.
It's already been a great night for singer/songwriters, the Douglas Firs, who have regularly headlined the club, have delivered a stonking support set, one which in it's self drew attention to a forthcoming EP and what with a new album due from Lou Brown is really highlighting the strength in depth of the local scene.
The Douglas Fir's, it has to be said, are really delivering on the promises of their early performances. You always felt they were a talent in development, a belief confirmed by their success in the local unsigned awards last year and this performance, strong, confident only adds to that feeling. They now need to find a way of making that next step and take themselves out and about to new audiences. Jimmy and Suzy Douglas need to find a broader range of support. Not always easy, I know, but if they continue to play like they did tonight, it can't be far away.
Lizzie Nunnery has made that step, getting good receptions many miles away from her native Liverpool. Since she last played Bournemouth Folk Club she has added an additional musician to the band, effectively stepping up from a duo to a trio. It gives more depth to the sound and at one point even allowed for two ukuelles playing at the same time.
That said I also get the feeling that the new lad is a very recent addition to the team and there were times I felt he didn't really gel, hadn't fully bedded in. He got to do one of his own songs partway through the set and in all honesty I felt it was the weakest part of the night.
Nunnery, by contrast, continues to grow as an artist, she's not afraid to be unconventional, not just for the sake of it, but because she feels the song deserves it.
It creates a bit of an enigma around her, you never know what is going to come next or how it's going to be delivered. You just know you're going to sit there transfixed, except for applauding at the right moments, until her set has come to an end, complete with the obligatory encore.
Neil King